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USB 3.x PCIe Cards for Classic Mac Pro
- Thread starter ActionableMango
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Only with a bit of engineering and if you have a USB 3 card with an internal port to connect it to. Use high powered hub instead.
Someone did it to his Mac Pro 3,1.
Succeed! Add USB expension card to fix the USB port failure on Mac Pro 3,1
Once the Mac Pro is set up, I'd like to jam it in and so will have very limited access to the rear. I suppose a top mounted USB hub is an option. Cards with internal ports are hard to come by, and of course there doesn't seem to be good driverless cards to suit.
That's what I have!
I was just looking at cards recently and found the Inateck KT-4006. Two external and two internal via the 20-pin connector.
I thought I read somewhere the Inateck didn't play nice with more recent OSes. I suppose it's worth a shot if it gives me faster connections than my USB 2.0 and Firewire 800.
I believe Inateck states their cards are not compatible with Yosemite, but everyone finds they work just fine (including the one in mine).
It's best explained in post #1 here, but the chipset used on the Inateck and Orico are identical to what is used in Mac's already and has built-in support in OSX. It won't get more love, or less! It will always be there.
He repaired the USB 2.0 ports on the front of his case, but they are still USB 2.0 ports.
Yes, but it's a hardware modification.
The front facing USB 2.0 ports don't have all of the pins needed for USB 3.0, so you'd have to clip the two existing USB 2.0 ports off of the front PCB:
Then mount two USB 3.0 ports in the same physical space with something like this:
Or maybe those ports aren't spaced the same as the Mac Pro, in which case you might be better off with something like this:
Then run the cable from those ports to a Mac-compatible USB 3.0 card with an internal 20-pin header such as the Inatek KT-4006:
http://www.amazon.com/Cord-free-Inateck-Controller-Internal-Connector/dp/B00JFR2H64
I think most of this procedure would be quite easy. The only step I am uncertain about is how to mount the ports in a sturdy enough way to handle people inserting and removing a tight fitting USB plug.
There are also cables with 20-pin header and a single USB 3.0 port. You could replace just one port to have one each non-bootable USB 3.0 and bootable USB 2.0 at the front.
If you ever want to restore this to stock, just get a replacement front PCB part. If you don't mind used parts, they are pretty cheap on Ebay.
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Installed El Cap GM1. Reinstalled ASUS 3.1 card. It's still a 3.0 card to OSX. No 3.1 drivers yet, but that's probably because Macs won't get it until Thundebolt 3 arrives with it.
Keep an eye on BPlus. They will soon have a USB 3.1 enclosure for M key blades such as XP941/SM951 if you want a small USB Drive for transferring very large files at up to 800MB/s. Currently they have the 3.0 version but they do have a 3.1 enclosure for mSATA RAID for operating systems with 10gbps support.
http://www.bplustech.com/Adapter/U3M2M.html
http://www.bplustech.com/Adapter/U31MR.html
http://www.bplustech.com/Adapter/U3M2M.html
http://www.bplustech.com/Adapter/U31MR.html
Correction : USB 3.1 cards are recognised in El Cap as 3.0 but they won't be able to connect to any devices. Nothing, not even a mouse.
How about This..??
Highpoint RocketU 1322A (USB 3.1 Type A)
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-ru1322a-overview.htm
What chipset? The Highpoint specs page doesn't even specify it.How about This..??
Highpoint RocketU 1322A (USB 3.1 Type A)
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-ru1322a-overview.htm
Should be the same chipset. Links to Windows Asmedia driver. Highpoint is either being dishonest or naive for pitching this to Mac owners when there is no support yet.
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The picture shows an Asmedia chip.
The manual says:
"For Mac OS X 10.9 or later version, the embedded USB driver is native support RocketU 1322A."
We need CRJackson to get on this.
The manual says:
"For Mac OS X 10.9 or later version, the embedded USB driver is native support RocketU 1322A."
We need CRJackson to get on this.
Have a look at post #20 here.
It is the ASMedia, it will work in 10.10 (don't remember if I tested it with 10.9, but I'm sure it will). It acts like a USB 3.0 not a 3.1 w/OS X so far. Sent it right back to them. I can't say what I'd like to... Read between the lines...
It is the ASMedia, it will work in 10.10 (don't remember if I tested it with 10.9, but I'm sure it will). It acts like a USB 3.0 not a 3.1 w/OS X so far. Sent it right back to them. I can't say what I'd like to... Read between the lines...
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The LaCie card requires drivers from LaCie. I would download the latest from their website and if those don't work, contact LaCie support.
My dislike for custom drivers is actually why I started this thread in the first place.
I have reinstalled the latest driver which is the same as previously installed. LaCie support for their card is very sketchy.